HRW: Daesh «Summarily Executed» 13 Iraqi Civilians

Local Editor

Daesh [Arabic acronym for "ISIS" / "ISIL"] militants "summarily executed" 13 civilians after villagers rose up against them at the start of the Iraqi army's offensive to retake Mosul, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.

The killings took place in the villages of al-Hud and al-Lazzagah, 50 kilometers [30 miles] south of Mosul on Oct. 17, the day government forces launched the massive operation to oust the extremists from the city.

"‘ISIS' responded to the village uprising by unlawfully executing people captured in the uprising and civilians who weren't involved," Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at HRW, said in a statement.

She further said that the security forces who capture Daesh militants "should properly investigate their participation in alleged war crimes like these."

In total, the Daesh militants "summarily executed at least 13 people including two boys," HRW said.

The report included the picture of one of the slain boys, a 13-year-old who had not been involved in the uprising, it said, citing his father Muhammad.

Daesh had captured al-Hud and al-Lazzagah in June 2014, with villagers saying they lived in constant fear of punishment, including death, for activities like smoking and using mobile phones, said HRW.

As Iraqi forces closed in on the morning of October 17, about 30 villagers attacked the extremists, killing 19 of them, said the New York-based watchdog.

Daesh militants began the execution-style killings in the afternoon, leaving bodies lying in the streets.

Iraqi forces entered al-Lazzagah that evening and al-Hud the next morning.

HRW called on Iraqi security forces to "appropriately investigate incidents of alleged war crimes so that those responsible, if in government custody, can be fairly prosecuted".

After seizing control of large parts of Iraq and neighboring Syria in mid-2014, Daesh declared a cross-border "caliphate", imposed its distorted interpretation of Islamic law and committed widespread atrocities.

Iraqi forces had been tightening the noose around Mosul since launching the offensive.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team